Roman Bronze Crossbow Brooch

Standing nude with a chlamys draped over his left shoulder and fastened on the right shoulder, bearing the weight on his right foot with the left leg bent at the knee with the heel raised; the right arm extended and holding the remains of an attribute, the left arm bent at the elbow; his head turned slightly to the right with long luxurious hair swept back and gathered at the nape of the neck; set on a circular socle base; stripped and repatinated. 700 grams, 19 cm



Acquired at Mythes ét Légendes, 18 Place des Vosges, Paris, 14 May 1980. Private collection, France. Ex Jean Roudillon, Hôtel des Ventes de Belfort SARL, 22 October 2011, no.9. with Christie's, London, 2 April 2014, no.91. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S0007570. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.132675 dated 7 December 2011. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12360-226681. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The figurine is of archaic style; it is probably a provincial work of a Gallo-Roman workshop. The prototype can be seen in the Apollo of Naxos in the Berlin Museum. The style of posture and movement can also be seen in the archaic bronzes of Falterona, the Louvre and Athens.

Modelled in the round sitting with miniature double-crown, serpent arm-ring on left wrist, sidelock; fixing socket to right thigh. 145 grams, 72 mm



Private collection, Me. A., Florida, USA, early 1990s. European private collection, acquired in Germany, September 2000. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12683-234609. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cuboid 'die' drilled through the centre, each of the four faces with a different animal: a hare, an eagle facing back, a dove, and a dolphin(?), probably used in a game of dice. 1.6 grams, 6 mm



Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, collector. From his private collection since the 1970s; thence by descent circa 2000. Ex private collection of a Bedfordshire gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.